Tyler had the luck of the Irish with him when Genevieve pinched his butt at a bar on St. Patrick’s day! Later on in the relationship, Tyler realized he had met the woman he wanted to spend his life with and proposed to her in a pick-up truck on the lake where they had had their first date. His luck continued and Genevieve excitedly accepted his proposal.

Each had different favorite memories from their wedding day. Tyler’s was the moment her got to see his stunning bride walk down the aisle toward him. Seeing her will be something he never will forget because he was so moved be watching the love of his life beam at him from down the aisle. Genevive, however, loved when she and Tyler were able to stand on the top of the stairs after the wedding. This gave them an amazing look of all their friends and family who had gathered to celebrate their love, as well as a wonderful view of the mountains. Being able to take this all in with her new husband is something that Genevieve will always cherish.

Genevieve also recalls from that day getting more and more excited as she heard the clamber of feet get quieter as the bridal procession moved down the aisle. Soon, she knew it would be her turn to walk to her future husband and she couldn’t wait. Genevieve admits to being nervous, though, as she waited in the guest room. The reality of the moment set in as she and her dad sat on a hand-stitched quilt and Genevieve looked down at the ruffles on her dress. Too afraid of crying, she kept quiet about her nerves.

But then, as Genevieve looked at her father, the two shared a moment of realization: he was about to give away his little girl, and she was about to become a wife. The two held hands for a moment and gave each other a cheery smile because they knew it was time. As they got into position, the absolute beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains struck Genevieve and she waited a moment so she could take in the absolute magnificence of Sierra Vista. Then, she looked over at all of her loved one, from her sisters in their dresses and the men in their handsome suits, until she laid eyes on Tyler. He was grinning from ear to ear and couldn’t stop the tearing that streamed down his face in joy. Genevieve saw her dad’s eyes fixed on the horizon and the two started their walk. The procession was accompanied by a ukulele version of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” which was a beautiful accompaniment to the backdrop of the mountains. Despite shaking the whole way, she made it to Tyler with a little bit of luck and love.

Though their vows were traditional, the couple made sure to honor the beautiful nature that surrounded them on this special day. The two thanked God for the gift of love and vowed to be dedicated to each other unendingly. As they took their vows, they squeezed each other’s hands tightly and Genevieve could feel Tyler studying her face and trying to memorize each second of that moment between them. Genevieve admits to being so nervous that she messed up her lines slightly, but it helped to comfort her butterflies because the crowd laughed and put her at ease. Eventually, they were saying “I Do” to each other and recessing from the ceremony as guests threw flower petals over them. To symbolize their marriage, Genevieve and Tyler ran down and ran the old bell at the end of the aisle.

Though the ceremony was over faster than they expected, the two can still remember every detail of their wedding day. From the father/daughter dance, to their first dance where the two whispered in each other’s ear, the day was sheer perfection.

Make sure to see more from the Benson Wedding on page 48 of bridebook!

Justin and Sarah met while taking a class together at college. They were grouped together for a project, and though Justin was the "class clown," Sarah was impressed by his charisma and charm. However, fate didn't bring the two together until after college. Justin and Sarah had both been working for different ministry programs, and Justin dedicated to ask Sarah about churches in the Lynchburg area. She invited him to church, and their journey together began.

On the day of Justin's proposal, he was one day away from flying back to Finland for work. He told Sarah he wanted to do something different for his last day in the states, so they went out to a surprise lunch together. Sarah was exhausted and slept throughout the entire car ride, so it was truly was a surprise when she woke up at Mama Maria's Italian Restaurant in Salem. After lunch, Justin drove Sarah to Lake Spring Park. Sarah had always dreamed about getting engaged on one of her favorite bridges in Central Park, so Justin picked out a similar bridge to take Sarah to. As she was taking in the scenery, he got down on one knee and asked her to be his wife. Naturally, Sarah said yes, but the surprises didn't end there. Justin had gotten her parents to travel down from New Jersey to secretly snap some shots of the proposal. Sarah was floored, but Justin had one more trick up his sleeve: The newly engaged couple drove to the Salem Red Sox baseball stadium where Justin's entire family, a bunch of Sarah's coworkers and friends, and other loved ones were waiting for them. It was an absolutely perfect night.

Justin and Sarah got married in a beautiful pine grove overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains. The fall colors were tremendous, and so the couple decided to incorporate a little bit of natural simplicity into their wedding. For favors, they had a trail mix bar and Sprecher Soda, an old-timey soda brand that Justin grew up with in Milwaukee. Their venue, Sierra Vista, needed few decorations to stand out amidst the lovely scenery, so Sarah and Justin kept it minimalist, placing a few barrels and flowers here and there and letting the large wooden cross at the end of the isle serve as a centerpiece.

The barn at Sierra Vista added a rustic country feel to the colorful fall celebration. Again, Justin and Sarah used natural decorations: wood, burlap, twine, and glass. Autumn-colored florals, wildflowers, and greenery were prevalent throughout the space, and the couple's guest book was the ultimate nod to nature. Rather than have a plain book for guests to write in, Justin and Sarah had a makeshift tree where guests left fingerprints to represent leaves.

Sarah's top priority when planning the wedding was having a celebration that was both comfortable and enjoyable. The atmosphere was very relaxed, and the focus was on fun. The reception included a "kids only" section where children could play games and make arts and crafts. For the adults, corn hole, a ring toss, and various puzzles were set up across the grounds. The small, intimate guest list allowed all guests to interact and feel comfortable with each other, and the laid-back atmosphere was echoed by the wedding playlist. Though the couple shared a memorable first dance to a slow and sweet love song, they also included remixes of "Turn Down for What" and other upbeat pop songs. The wedding was a perfect representation of Sarah and Justin's unique personalities, their devotion to each other, and their love for God.

Be sure to see the Fredrich wedding on page 108 of the third issue of bridebook!